Page 3 Advertisements Column 6

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18584, 17 December 1923, Page 3

THE VANISHING VENGEANCE —• "j, v BY DOUGLAS NEWTON, Author of " Double Crossed," ."Low Ceilings,'' . " Green Ladioe," etc. ' (Copy right. 1 CHAPTER X—(Continued.) " I spoke in general terms," cried Hugo excitedly. "My poor friend only died yesterday, remember. <-. I have scarcely bad time for a close examination." /' " I see," said Mr. Dudley blankly. " You ran just rapidly through." " " Quite so." And you jumped the whole of 19, nob noticing whether all the papers of that year were goneor there?" • " Apparently," snapped Hugo, twitching in. every pallid, feature.. "And yet the year 19, the year of the bankruptcy, must have had. some significance to you as an ex-director of Consolidated Exploitations, I suppose," said 'Mr. ? Dudley. *' I tell you I didn't give it any particular attention, sir," cried Hugo frantically. "My dear friend was just dead in a most horrible way. -I wasn't in a state to notice anything; ..." Otto broke «n to save the strain—" And why should lie,- Mr. Dudley? Really the trend of your questioning is rather extraordinary.'' ■'* Oh," said Mr. Dudley, faintly surprised. "Is it 1 only wanted to find out ;if the papers had been stolen, and when." \ The listless way he let the words out gave them the effect, of an exploding bomb. For all his cold impassivity Otto Rigg was taken aback. * " Stolen !"' ho cried. .." Why should you say such a thing?"' "Becausewell, it's rather queer, isn't it?. .— They're gone, and"— looked listlessly from Otto to Hugo— "have either of you, or any one, had a look : at Henry Maker's papers?" 0 "Henry Maker!" cried Otto. "Why Henry Makerwhat about Henry Maker?" •' r The listless Mr. . Dudley did show a . spark of surprise. He looked from one to the other. " But surely you know Henry Maker has left Greenhayle " Hugo was on his feet in panic. " Maker ; gone!" he cried. " Maker bolted!" /:■ . Otto cried in a loud voice, to drown Hugo : " Maker gone? Absurd! He was here yesterday. He said nothing about "He appears to have felt like that," said Mr. ; Dudley deliberately. , " He told no one, J and left in a hurry. His servants heard him driving off. last night in a ear- * furiously.: Perhaps Mr. Shanly's expression fitted the case—', bolted,' . you said, Mr. /Shanly. Now I wonder why he bolted?"""" •- • - Otto Rijrg pulled himself together. He stared coldly at the listless man..... He said frigidly : " I don't understand what you are driving, at, sir. What is behind this curious , manner of yours ? ' And why, might I ask, do you show this peculiar interest in Mr. Maker? Why should you go to his house at all? Why.. above all things, should you couple Mr.' Maker with the" late Mr.' Gamlin?" . .. • ... : .. . " Because," said Mr. —"because Maker papers show the same curious blank. Everything connected " with the year 19— has gone too." Otto stared for a full minute. Then he burst out: " You've ' been' examining his . papersyou! :In heaven's name why should you-do that?'.' ; " Oh, I thought I could exercise my . powers—in view of the absence of Mr. Maker, and other circumstances." "Other circumstances other circumstances? " " The circumstances ' * that N ; connect this ' case bo strangely with that of. Mr. Gamlin. Beofre Mr. Maker went .„ he., did - exactly - the same thin* that Seward Gamlin did before he died. He sent the bulk of his fortune to the Public Trustee - for the benefit of the sufferers in the Consolidated Exploitations smash. Queer, isn't it? Two exdirectors make gifts. We inquire; something extraordinary has happened to both directors tat. the moment they make that gift.; One committed suicide, one bolted. Why?" • .»• ; , • CHAPTER XI. '/ " Nb doubt about it— listless Mr. Dudley had exploded a. bomb. , . 4 His . news had abruptly and dramatically • given a. new note, a dew • terror 'to' the . whole situation. He had made it; plain that i there was something behind .the* two happenings—something big and mysterious. , . : i ■ Seward Gamlin had committed suicide; Henry Maker had bolted. - Both things had ; happened : suddenly, unexpectedly/ Butj as suddenly as both had r happened, each; of the victims had done ' the same thing. / Each had .sent his - fortune to the relief of ; the } victims of the Consolidated Exploitation smash/ • #■./■ •• - Gamlin had sent-* £80,000 Maker, Mr.' Dudley ' said, had sent £120,000. They had sent this as a;l gift, but each had taken steps to' obliterate himself .immediately, after he had sent.it. Mr. Dudley said, languidly, "And the curious . point is that „ nobody knows anything about " the - letter Maker sent, nobody knows how it was posted. The same thing occurred in: Gapcilin'a case, didn't ' it?"- /V .. . ..• ; . : •.Nobody could explain ' this, r but Joyce: felt jthat she. knew, and Otto; knew. Martin Stannard» had posted that letter. Although nothing was said r; about . Martin Stannard, ;Joyce felt that he ; was in : this, just as he had been in it in pamlin's case. He had called on . Henry Maker 'before Maker bolted, just >as he ; had , called on Gamlin before Gamlin killed . himself. •»:/tm v; Yes, there was fear in the eyes of the men who faced Mr. Dudley as; he dropped his bomb. vlt ; was quickly hidden in j' the case; of the cunning Otto Bigg: ; bat Joyce sensed it. s . His actions •" and his" words were all adjusted to mislead -the tired Mr. Dudley. He was; on. his guard and fighting. Mr. Dudley, in his weary way, 'was trying to get some reason for this extraordinary state, of, things ..out. t»f the men • before him, and j Otto was pleading . absolute puzzlement and. ignorance. ; He coiild explain nothing, he would offer no hint of Martin Stannard. Again and again -Mr. Dudley tried to get at this, mit out weary feelers that seemed to be searching for some hidden personality at the back of this mystery. But Otto countered everything with tins plea of ignorance. He gave nothing away. Certainly he did not give the name of Martin Stannard away. Mr. Dudley left more weary and more baffled. ' • Joyce was 1 also baffled, and yet rebellious. She was tymt from the study while the three directors of the bankrupt company held. conference. \ She sat in her little office opening on to the lawns behind the house. She was in a state of mental chaps. She could only think of the lies that were being told. „ 'i Lies that revealed nothing, confused everything. ■' ■ "I'll believe none of thera," cried Joyce, passionately. "I'll ; trust nobody. 1 I'll find out for myself.". ; . _ ; When she saw Otto Rigg and his foxy agent, St roach, walk out into the garden she rose and followed tbem. She meant to find-out for, herself. "■ ; It. was easy to follow, for the garden .was: well-'sht with shrubs. They went straight down the garden, well away from the house. ; They reached a little bay entirely surrounded » by thickset . hedges— yew-parlonr—and into this they went. It was an ideal place > for a secret conversation, if nobody saw them go in. Joyce saw I them go in, slipped round behind the hedges, and reached a point just behind a rustic seat on : which . both men sat. " There is no alternative. This- Dudley fellow is dangerous. :We must deal with Stannsrd at once— .finallv.," It was Otto Rigg speaking, coldly, implacably. "Yes, I c'n see that," came Stroach's voice, hesitatingly. " If we don't get him —hell t ' " You • let him slip last night," said Otto Rigg, with deadly coldness. ,0 - " Could I help it, Mr. Rigg!" protested 'StrdaiJu '. Now, "ask yourself, ' could I ■ help it T" : "/vo/iK 'V'v''/. 1 • i. v , r -'' v'.V"'